Riot police called to screening

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Organisers of the Venice Film Festival pledged today to improve security for Nicole Kidman, after the premiere of Al Pacino's film descended into chaos.

Riot police were called to the screening of The Merchant of Venice to calm cinema-goers, amid scenes so shambolic that several Hollywood executives vowed to boycott the event next year.

The premiere was initially severely delayed for security checks after a series of hoax bomb threats.

Then a computer glitch led to more than 200 extra tickets being printed, meaning more than 200 people arrived to find they had no seats - including Pacino himself.

The knock-on effect of the delays saw the last film of the evening, Kate Winslet's Finding Neverland, put back until 2am, prompting Miramax boss Harvey Weinstein to joke he would drown the festival director in the lagoon "with his feet encased in cement".

Organisers have apologised for the problems and insist tomorrow night's premiere of Kidman's film Birth will go without a hitch.

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Extra time will be allotted before the red carpet screening for police to check under every seat for explosive devices.

"The particular problem with The Merchant of Venice premiere was the computer, but the general problem and the reason for the delays is one of security," a festival spokeswoman said.

"We have had to make meticulous checks of all the seats in the room before the premiere because of threats.

"Of course, we know that they are probably a hoax but we have a duty to check each one.

"The world is a dangerous place right now and with so many Hollywood stars here this year security is more of a priority than ever."